Should I Hire an Attorney After a Car Accident?
Did you know that at least 10,000 people were involved in a car accident in the first quarter of this year? This is a 7% increase compared to last year.
Therefore, it is essential to hire an attorney because you never know when a problem on the road can occur. Even though many accidents result in minor bumps, you never know how serious things can be.
No matter how you feel after a car accident, it is always important to find an attorney to protect your rights. Here is everything you need to know about why you need the best attorney.
Table of Contents
Why Hire an Attorney?
Car accident cases are never clear-cut. Unless it is just a fender bender, you might need to make a full recovery and will need to tackle a lot of hospital bills.
You need to ask yourself if there are any financial losses you need to know how to prove. Is your insurance company offering a decent settlement to help you through this challenging time?
Then you also need to ask yourself what the statute of limitations is where you live. Doing this research can help you avoid damaging your claim. Therefore, getting an attorney is necessary to ensure you get the compensation you deserve.
Knowledge
The best attorney and legal help will help you handle the aftermath of a car accident. This is because you need to know all your rights and the full extent of the damages.
The damages to consider will be property damage, disability, pain, suffering, and medical expenses. If you have become incapacitated after the accident, you may be owed some lost income from your workplace.
This is why hiring an attorney is always the best decision. An experienced car accident lawyer will know what your mental distress and injuries are worth. They will then stop at nothing to get you the proper settlement.
Otherwise, you may end up accepting compensation that is worth much less than your damages. Click here for more information on hiring a car accident lawyer.
Investigating the Accident
When you work with a lawyer, they will immediately start their investigation to piece together your case. Even if you feel alright after an accident, you should still speak to an attorney.
This is because some injuries from the accident will not be apparent. The symptoms of whiplash can take some time before you feel them. The car damage may also not be noticeable immediately after the accident.
For instance, something that looks like a minor ding on the fender can result in a lot of structural damage. It is not fair to have you pay for all these damages when you should receive a settlement from the other party who is at fault.
Negotiation and Representation
Car insurance companies will always try to pay you less than what your claim is worth. They will go out of their way to deny your claim or put you at fault, even if you are the victim.
Lawyers understand the information you need to strengthen your chances of winning. If your claim gets denied, an attorney can help you fight and appeal the decision until the end.
Remember that insurance companies often try to come up with a monetary settlement to quickly get rid of your claim. This is because they try to pay out as little as possible while avoiding a personal injury case.
Without an attorney, negotiating with them for the right amount would be an uphill battle.
Avoid Financial Loss
Many people who need more legal expertise to defend themselves lose money by trying to go it alone. For instance, think about what may happen if you file your suit too late or if you do not address the correct defendant for damages.
You can also lose your case by presenting information the right way. When these mistakes happen, you can lose your chance of recovering from the accident.
Then it will also become harder to sue again for damages. You must always find the best attorney to avoid ending up with nothing. Otherwise, you can also end up paying a lot for fees and expenses related to a crash you did not cause.
If a driver was operating their vehicle while drunk or high, it would classify as negligence. You can also challenge someone if they are distracted while driving.
This often happens when people navigate a GPS or talk on the phone while driving. Your attorney can investigate your case to determine the cause of the accident. Then they will use all that evidence to blame the person who caused the accident.
The Courts
If your car crash case gets taken to court, you will only have one chance of winning. This is because courts do not make any moral judgments about who is right and who is wrong.
The courts will only look at the evidence presented during your hearing and base decisions on that. Therefore, your attorney must play a pivotal role in convincing the courts that you deserve a decent settlement.
Remember that there is always a risk of not presenting evidence correctly. You need an attorney’s help to gather all the details from the accident. They can talk to witnesses and collect photos and other bits of evidence to ensure that the courts believe your side of the story.
Hire the Best Attorney Today
Now that you know why you should hire an attorney after a car accident, it is time to start calling the best legal help. If you try to do the negotiation process yourself, you risk leaving a lot of money on the table.
Many people find cases overwhelming and might want to accept the first settlement offer from the other party.
However, a dedicated lawyer can help you prepare the best case for a fair settlement that will help you throughout your recovery. If you enjoyed reading this legal guide, check out some of our other posts for more information.